Hello, my name is Carol and I'm currently taking my year abroad at Lund University in Sweden!
As my time abroad comes to an end, I think it's the perfect opportunity to reflect upon my journey thus far and share with you just some of the ways travelling and taking up a placement year has helped me gain crucial career skills.
Undoubtedly, the idea of picking up my life and moving it to a completely different country was both a daunting and exciting prospect. Indeed, it is this very decision to do so that has given me not only a greater sense of perspective of the direction my life could take, but it has also equipped me with crucial soft skills which I can apply in all areas of my life, especially within my career path.
Now, I know this may sound cliché but taking a year abroad really has increased my confidence. Not only has the process of getting myself to Sweden been a nerve-wrecking experience, but in doing so and putting myself in this temporarily uncomfortable situation, I have found that I am far more confident in my abilities to take initiative, organise, problem-solve, and subsequently put a plan into action. Equally, the very process of trying to settle in, within the first few weeks of my arrival, has both pushed me out of and expanded my comfort zone. It has also presented me with multiple opportunities to build upon my networking skills! Of course, a further benefit of practising my interpersonal skills in a different country, has meant that I have been able to build relationships, both personal ones as well as professional ones, within a more global context. This in turn has also meant that my own perspective of job opportunities has expanded, especially in the sense that I now feel I have the necessary experience and confidence to follow career paths that may take me abroad to further new and exciting adventures.
More than this however, given the ever-globalising nature of the current job market, my decision to take a year abroad has been beneficial as it has meant that I have been able to interact with people from all parts of the world within a more international landscape. This is especially the case since Lund University is particularly renowned for being an international university. This, therefore, brings me to another set of essential skills that traveling has afforded me, that being intercultural awareness, communication, and tolerance. In fact, as I mentioned before, given how globalising the job market is getting every day, employers often now see skills such as intercultural awareness and communication to be an essential soft skill to have in the workplace. This, being especially true as employers now seek to diversify their own teams, having realised the benefits that come with having a diverse working environment!
Now, if you're on the cusp of deciding whether to take a year abroad I hope by relaying my own positive experiences it has helped given you a slight nudge in the direction of full commitment. Likewise, if travelling has never even been something you've considered up until now, then I hope I have at least inspired you to begin considering this fantastic opportunity you have available to you. Of course, I could not have done all of this alone, UEA's study abroad team have been tremendous in supporting me in my travels. Meanwhile resources available to me on both the study abroad website as well as the CareerCentral website have further helped me understand the global opportunities and preparations available to me as a student. So, follow these links and go check it out:
UEA Study Abroad: https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/study-abroad-and-exchange/outgoing-study-abroad
CareerCentral: https://www.abintegro.com/Resources/elearning/Hub.aspx
Carol Li, 4th Year Undergraduate, History of Art (with a year abroad).
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